Luggage delivery vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle for package delivery, capable of more effectively utilizing a space inside the vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle 10 for package delivery includes: a door opening 18 provided in a left side part 12L of the vehicle; a package storage part 40 provided inside the vehicle for storing a package; and a package handling device 30 for conveying the package between a first transfer position Pf and a second transfer position Psv or Psd, receiving the package from the package storage part 40 at the first transfer position Pf, and transferring the package to a worker or an unmanned transport machine 100v or 100d at the second transfer position Psv or Psd. The package storage part 40 is provided in front of and / or behind the package handling device 30 inside the vehicle. The package handling device 30 is provided in the vicinity of a right side part 12R and at such a position as to face the door opening 18 in a vehicle width direction. The second transfer positions Psv and Psd are set between the package handling device 30 and the door opening 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present specification discloses a package delivery vehicle for use in delivering packages. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as trucks have been used to deliver packages. Packages to be delivered are stored inside the vehicle. When the vehicle arrives near the delivery destination, a worker removes the package from the vehicle and delivers it to the final delivery destination. Recently, it has also been proposed to use unmanned transport aircraft such as unmanned ground vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "UGVs") and drones to perform the delivery work from the vehicle to the delivery destination instead of humans. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a drone port for landing a drone is provided on the roof of a vehicle, and the drone receives the package from inside the vehicle and transports the package to the delivery destination. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Publication No. 102016007467 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to deliver a package from a vehicle to a delivery destination, the package must be removed from the vehicle, which is called a loading and unloading operation. Conventionally, such loading and unloading operation has been performed by a worker. However, performing such loading and unloading operation by a human is time-consuming. Moreover, unmanned transport vehicles are generally used to reduce the number of workers. When using such an unmanned transport vehicle to deliver a package to a delivery destination, if the loading and unloading operation is performed by a human, the number of workers cannot be sufficiently reduced, and the merits of using the unmanned transport vehicle are diminished.

[0005] Therefore, it is conceivable to provide a loading device on the vehicle that automatically removes the baggage from the vehicle and hands it over to a worker or an unmanned transport vehicle. However, when such a loading device is provided on the vehicle, there is a risk that the space of the baggage storage section will be significantly reduced or that the entry space of the unmanned transport vehicle will not be sufficiently secured. Therefore, when providing a loading device on a vehicle, it is necessary to consider a layout that can effectively utilize the space of the vehicle, but in the past, such a layout has not been sufficiently considered.

[0006] Therefore, this specification discloses a parcel delivery vehicle that can make more effective use of the space inside the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The luggage delivery vehicle disclosed in this specification comprises a door opening provided on a first side of the vehicle and opened and closed by a door, a luggage storage section provided inside the vehicle for storing luggage, and a loading device which transports the luggage between a first transfer position and a second transfer position and transfers the luggage to and from the luggage storage section at the first transfer position, wherein the luggage storage section is provided inside the vehicle, either in front of, or behind, the loading device, or both in front of and behind the loading device, the loading device is provided near a second side of the vehicle, which is the side opposite the first side, and in a position facing the door opening in the vehicle width direction, and the second transfer position is set between the loading device and the door opening.

[0008] By providing the loading / unloading device near the second side and facing the door opening in the vehicle width direction, a working space for a UGV or worker to get in and work can be secured immediately after entering through the door opening. Also, by providing the loading / unloading device facing the vehicle width direction, the shape of the baggage storage section set in front of and / or behind the loading / unloading device can be simplified, effectively preventing the occurrence of dead space. As a result, the above configuration allows the space inside the vehicle to be used effectively.

[0009] In this case, the luggage storage section is not provided in the work space, which is the space from the loading and unloading device to the door opening, and the vehicle interior floor surface in the work space may be flat.

[0010] By making the floor of the work space flat, the UGV can enter the work space smoothly.

[0011] In addition, the luggage may be delivered in cooperation with an unmanned transport aircraft, which may include a drone, and may further include a drone port provided on the outer surface of the ceiling of the vehicle for the drone to land, a roof opening formed in the ceiling through which the luggage can pass, and an auxiliary loading and unloading device that transports the luggage received from either the loading and unloading device or the drone through the roof opening and hands it over to the other loading and unloading device or the drone.

[0012] By providing the auxiliary loading device, it is possible to position the loading device horizontally offset from the roof opening, which allows the loading device to be installed in a location that makes it easy to transfer cargo between the UGV and workers.

[0013] The roof opening may be formed substantially at the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] With this configuration, the landing position of the drone that receives the package through the roof opening can be set to the center of the vehicle width. And by setting the center of the vehicle width as the landing position, the drone can take off and land stably.

[0015] In addition, the unmanned transport vehicle further includes a UGV that travels on a road unmanned, and the second transfer position includes a UGV transfer position for transferring the cargo between the unmanned ground vehicle and the unmanned ground vehicle, and a drone transfer position for transferring the cargo between the unmanned ground vehicle and the auxiliary loading and unloading device, and the UGV transfer position and the drone transfer position may be coincident in the horizontal direction and offset in the vertical direction.

[0016] This configuration allows both UGVs and drones to be used for delivering packages. Also, by aligning the UGV handover position and the drone handover position horizontally, the movement of the loading and unloading device can be simplified.

[0017] The loading and unloading device may further include a main pillar having a lower end fixed to a floor, and a luggage holding section that holds the luggage and rotates around the main pillar and moves up and down along the main pillar, and after receiving the luggage at one of the first and second transfer positions, the luggage holding section may be rotated and raised and lowered to transport the luggage to the other of the first and second transfer positions.

[0018] With this configuration, the configuration of the loading and unloading device can be simplified.

[0019] In this case, the vehicle may have a cross member, which is a framework member extending in the vehicle width direction, at the bottom of the vehicle, and the main pillar may be provided at a position overlapping with the cross member in a plan view.

[0020] Since the floor surface around the cross member is stable and unlikely to bend, the main pillar can be made more stable by arranging the main pillar so as to overlap with the cross member.

[0021] Additionally, an upper end of the main pillar may be fixed to the ceiling of the vehicle.

[0022] With this configuration, the main pillars function as braces, improving the rigidity of the car body.

[0023] In addition, the vehicle may have a roof cross member, which is a skeletal member extending in the vehicle width direction, on the top of the vehicle, and the main pillar may be provided in a position that overlaps with the roof cross member in a planar view.

[0024] With this configuration, the load acting on the roof of the vehicle can be effectively transmitted to the lower part of the vehicle and dispersed, thereby effectively preventing distortion of the roof.

[0025] Furthermore, the upper end of the main pillar does not have to be fixed to the ceiling of the vehicle.

[0026] With this configuration, the load applied to the vehicle ceiling is prevented from being transmitted to the main pillar, thereby effectively suppressing deflection, etc. of the main pillar. Effect of the Invention

[0027] The package delivery vehicle disclosed in this specification allows for more efficient use of the space inside the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a package delivery vehicle. [Diagram 2] 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a parcel delivery vehicle taken along a plane parallel to the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction. [Diagram 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along line B-B. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the layout of a parcel delivery vehicle as viewed from above. [Figure 6] A cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the upper and lower ends of the main pillar. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing another example of a parcel delivery vehicle. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a package delivery vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] The configuration of a parcel delivery vehicle (hereinafter abbreviated as "vehicle") 10 will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of vehicle 10. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of vehicle 10 cut along a plane parallel to the vertical direction and the vehicle width direction. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. In each drawing, "Fr", "Up", and "Rh" respectively mean the front, upper, and right side of vehicle 10.

[0030] The vehicle 10 cooperates with an unmanned transport vehicle to deliver the luggage to a specified delivery destination. The unmanned transport vehicle includes, for example, a UGV 100v that travels on the ground to transport luggage, and a drone 100d that flies to transport luggage (propellers are not shown in Figs. 1 and 2). In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the UGV 100v and the drone 100d, they are referred to as "unmanned transport vehicles 100". Normally, such unmanned transport vehicles 100 are smaller than the vehicle 10, so they can enter the grounds and indoors of private homes and have excellent mobility. On the other hand, the unmanned transport vehicle 100 has a shorter cruising range than the vehicle 10. Therefore, in this example, the unmanned transport vehicle 100 is only responsible for transportation from the vicinity of the delivery destination to the delivery destination, and the vehicle 10, which has a longer cruising range, transports the luggage from the starting position to the vicinity of the delivery destination.

[0031] Specifically, the vehicle 10 moves from a predetermined departure position to a predetermined destination position while carrying multiple packages. The destination position is usually set to a position that is easily accessible by the unmanned transport vehicle 100 to all of the delivery destinations of the multiple packages. When the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination position, the unmanned transport vehicle 100 picks up the packages from the vehicle 10 and transports the packages to the delivery destinations. The delivery of the packages from the vehicle 10 to the unmanned transport vehicle 100 is automatically performed by a loading device 30, which will be described later, without human intervention.

[0032] Next, the configuration of the vehicle 10 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 of this example has a substantially vertically rising front and rear box-like appearance. A door opening 18 is formed in the left side 12L of the vehicle 10, which is used for getting on and off the worker or the UGV 100v. The door opening 18 is located in the approximately center of the vehicle 10 in the front-rear direction, and is covered by a door 20 so as to be freely opened and closed. The vehicle 10 of FIG. 1 is assumed to be used in areas where driving on the left side is stipulated. Therefore, the left side 12L in which the door opening 18 is formed can be said to be the side part on the sidewalk side. By forming the door opening 18 in this way on the side part on the sidewalk side (i.e., the left side 12L), the UGV 100v and the worker can easily move between the sidewalk and the inside of the vehicle. When the vehicle 10 is used in areas where driving on the right side is stipulated, the door opening 18 may be formed in the right side 12R, which is the side part on the sidewalk side. When the UGV 100v gets on and off, a slope 22 is extended from the lower end of the door opening 18 to the road surface.

[0033] A drone port 24 for the drone 100d to land is provided on the outer surface of the ceiling of the vehicle 10. The drone port 24 is a reinforced portion of the ceiling to withstand the impact of the drone 100d when it takes off or lands. In this example, the drone port 24 is provided in approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the drone 100d lands on the ceiling of the vehicle in approximately the center in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and in approximately the center in the width direction of the vehicle.

[0034] A roof opening 26 through which luggage can pass is formed in the ceiling of the vehicle 10. The roof opening 26 is formed in the ceiling at approximately the center in the vehicle front-rear direction and approximately the center in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the roof opening 26 is located almost directly below the drone 100d that has landed on the drone port 24.

[0035] A luggage storage section 40 and a loading device 30 are provided inside the vehicle 10. The luggage storage section 40 is an area for storing multiple luggage. In this example, as shown in FIG. 3, the space in the interior of the vehicle that is rearward of the loading device 30 is the luggage storage section 40. In the luggage storage section 40, for example, a transport shelf 42 is arranged. The transport shelf 42 is a shelf that stores multiple luggage and automatically transports a specified luggage from among the stored luggage to a position adjacent to a first transfer position Pf described later. The transport shelf 42 can use a mechanism used in an automated warehouse, and has, for example, a crane that picks up and moves the specified luggage, a conveyor that transports the specified luggage, and the like.

[0036] The loading device 30 is a device that takes out a specific load from the load storage unit 40 and transfers it to the unmanned transport vehicle 100. In the following, the position where the loading device 30 transfers the load to the load storage unit 40 is called the "first transfer position Pf" (see Fig. 3 and Fig. 4), the position where the loading device 30 transfers the load to the UGV 100v is called the "UGV transfer position Psv", and the position where the loading device 30 transfers the load to the drone 100d is called the "drone transfer position Psd" (see Figs. 2 to 4). In addition, when the UGV transfer position Psv and the drone transfer position Psd are not distinguished from each other, they are collectively called the "second transfer position Ps".

[0037] 2 and 4, the loading device 30 is provided near the right side 12R and at a position facing the door opening 18 in the vehicle width direction. Note that "near the right side 12R" here means a position closer to the right side 12R than the center of the vehicle 10 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in this example, the distance from the right end of the loading device 30 to the right side 12R is shorter than the distance from the left end of the loading device 30 to the center of the vehicle 10 in the vehicle width direction.

[0038] The space between the cargo handling device 30 and the door opening 18 becomes a work space WS where the UGV 100v and workers enter. Naturally, the baggage storage unit 40 is not provided in this work space WS. The work space WS is large enough to accommodate the entire UGV 100v. The floor surface of this work space WS is flat so that the UGV 100v can move smoothly.

[0039] The loading device 30 has a base 36, a rotating table 38, a main pillar 32, and a baggage holding section 34. The base 36 is a foundation fixed to the floor surface of the vehicle compartment. The rotating table 38 is a table that rotates relative to the base 36, and the loading device 30 has a power source (e.g., a motor, etc.) that rotates the rotating table 38. The main pillar 32 stands vertically from the rotating table 38 and rotates together with the rotating table 38.

[0040] The luggage holding section 34 is a substantially plate-shaped member on which luggage is placed. The luggage holding section 34 can be raised and lowered along the main pillar 32 by a lifting mechanism (not shown). As the lifting mechanism, various known lifting mechanisms can be used, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Furthermore, the luggage holding section 34 can rotate together with the main pillar 32 around the main pillar 32 by the rotation of the turntable 38. The luggage holding section 34 conveys luggage between the first transfer position Pf and the second transfer position Ps by combining lifting and rotation. As the configuration of the luggage holding section 34 can be, for example, the configuration of a stacker crane used in an automated warehouse, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in this example, between the main pillar 32 and the baggage storage unit 40, that is, immediately behind the main pillar 32, is the first transfer position Pf for transferring baggage between the main pillar 32 and the baggage storage unit 40. Also, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the immediately left side of the main pillar 32 is the second transfer position Ps for transferring baggage between the unmanned transport vehicle 100 and the unmanned transport vehicle 100. To explain the second transfer position Ps in more detail, a UGV transfer position Psv is defined immediately to the left of the main pillar 32 at approximately the same height as the baggage receiving position of the UGV 100v. Also, a drone transfer position Psd is defined immediately to the left of the main pillar 32 at approximately the same height as the auxiliary loading device 50 described later. That is, the UGV transfer position Psv and the drone transfer position Psd are aligned in the horizontal direction and shifted in the vertical direction.

[0042] 3 and 4, the interior of the vehicle in front of the loading device 30 is a driver's seat area Ad where a driver (not shown) sits. In this driver's seat area Ad, a chair for the driver to sit on, a steering wheel, a display, and the like (none of which are shown) are arranged.

[0043] The vehicle 10 is further provided with an auxiliary loading / unloading device 50. The auxiliary loading / unloading device 50 is a device that relays the delivery and receipt of luggage between the loading device 30 and the drone 100d. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the auxiliary loading / unloading device 50 is fixed to the ceiling of the vehicle compartment. As shown in Fig. 2, the auxiliary loading / unloading device 50 is provided at a position adjacent to the loading device 30 on the center side in the vehicle width direction, and is provided directly below the roof opening 26.

[0044] The auxiliary loading and unloading device 50 has a pallet 51 that holds cargo (see Figs. 2 and 3). The pallet 51 can be raised and lowered, and can pass through the roof opening 26. The auxiliary loading and unloading device 50 receives cargo on the pallet 51 from the cargo handling device 30 as necessary, and then raises the pallet 51 to transport the cargo to the drone port 24 and hand over the cargo to the drone 100d.

[0045] Next, a brief description will be given of the delivery of the package by the vehicle 10. As described above, the vehicle 10 transports the package to a destination position set near the delivery destination of the package. When the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination position, the unmanned transport aircraft 100 transports the package from the vehicle 10 to the delivery destination.

[0046] First, a case where a load is transported by the UGV 100v will be described. In this case, the UGV 100v may be mounted in the workspace WS of the vehicle 10 before arriving at the destination position, or the UGV 100v may enter the workspace WS from outside the vehicle through the door opening 18 after the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination position.

[0047] The loading / unloading device 30 moves the luggage holding unit 34 to the first transfer position Pf. The transport shelf 42 delivers the target luggage to the luggage holding unit 34 at the first transfer position Pf. Once the luggage has been delivered to the luggage holding unit 34, the loading / unloading device 30 rotates and raises and lowers the luggage holding unit 34 to move the luggage holding unit 34 to the UGV transfer position Psv. The loading / unloading device 30 then delivers the luggage at the UGV transfer position Psv to the UGV 100v. Once the UGV 100v receives the luggage, it moves outside the vehicle through the door opening 18 and transports the luggage to the delivery destination.

[0048] Next, a case where the drone 100d transports luggage will be described. In this case, the drone 100d may wait at the drone port 24 before arriving at the destination position, or may fly to the drone port 24 after the vehicle 10 arrives at the destination position.

[0049] In either case, when transporting a load by the drone 100d, the loading device 30, like the case of using the UGV 100v, first receives the target load from the transport shelf 42. That is, the loading device 30 moves the load holding unit 34 to the first transfer position Pf, and the transport shelf 42 delivers the target load to the load holding unit 34 located at the first transfer position Pf.

[0050] Next, the loading device 30 rotates and raises and lowers the luggage holding unit 34, and moves the luggage holding unit 34 to the drone transfer position Psd. After that, the loading device 30 moves the luggage from the luggage holding unit 34 to the pallet 51 of the auxiliary loading device 50, and hands over the luggage to the auxiliary loading device 50.

[0051] The auxiliary loading and unloading device 50 lifts the pallet 51 to transport the package above the ceiling (i.e., outside the vehicle) and delivers it to the drone 100d. After receiving the package, the drone 100d takes off from the drone port 24 and transports the package to the delivery destination.

[0052] As is clear from the above explanation, in this example, the vehicle 10 is provided with a loading device 30, which transfers the luggage from the luggage storage unit 40 to the unmanned transport vehicle 100. This eliminates the need for personnel to handle the luggage, reducing manpower. As a result, more efficient luggage delivery is possible.

[0053] As described above, in this example, the loading device 30 is provided near the right side 12R opposite the left side 12L where the door opening 18 is formed, and at a position facing the door opening 18 in the vehicle width direction, and further, the luggage storage section 40 is provided behind the loading device 30. With this arrangement, the space inside the vehicle can be effectively utilized, and the luggage storage section 40 and the working space WS can be sufficiently secured.

[0054] This will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the layout of the vehicle 10 as viewed from directly above. The UGV 100v enters the vehicle interior through the door opening 18 to receive the baggage. Therefore, an area A1 immediately inside the vehicle after entering through the door opening 18 and large enough to accommodate the entire UGV 100v must be secured as a working space WS. In addition, the drone 100d cannot land stably in a corner of the ceiling, so it usually lands in the center of the ceiling in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the roof opening 26 through which the baggage to be handed over to the drone 100d passes is usually formed in the area A2, which is the center of the vehicle width direction.

[0055] In order for the loading / unloading device 30 to properly hand over the cargo to the UGV 100v and the drone 100d, the loading / unloading device 30 needs to be disposed adjacent to the workspace WS and the roof opening 26. Therefore, possible positions for disposing the loading / unloading device 30 include a position P1 on the opposite side of the workspace WS from the door opening 18, and a position P2 adjacent to the workspace WS at the rear of the vehicle.

[0056] If the loading / unloading apparatus 30 is located at position P2, the baggage storage section 40 must be located in an area avoiding the loading / unloading apparatus 30 at position P2, i.e., in area A3 in FIG. 5, and the shape of the baggage storage section 40 becomes very complicated. In this case, the configuration of the transport shelf 42 that stores the baggage becomes complicated and dead space increases. As a result, if the loading / unloading apparatus 30 is located at position P2, the space for the baggage storage section 40 decreases, and there is a risk of a decrease in the efficiency of storing the baggage.

[0057] On the other hand, when the loading / unloading device 30 is provided at position P1, i.e., near the right side 12R and facing the door opening 18 in the vehicle width direction, the baggage storage section 40 is provided in area A4, which is on the vehicle rear side of the loading / unloading device 30 and the work space WS. As is clear from FIG. 5, this area A4 has a simple rectangular shape. Therefore, the configuration of the transport shelf 42 for transporting the baggage can be simplified and dead space is unlikely to occur. In other words, by arranging the loading / unloading device 30 facing the door opening 18 in the vehicle width direction and near the side opposite the door opening 18 (i.e., the right side 12R), the space of the vehicle 10 can be effectively utilized.

[0058] In addition, the space between the loading device 30 and the door opening 18 is a work space WS, and in this example, the floor surface of this work space WS is a flat surface. Therefore, the UGV 100v can smoothly enter the work space WS, and the workability of the UGV 100v can be improved.

[0059] As described above, in this example, an auxiliary loading / unloading device 50 is provided to relay between the loading / unloading device 30 and the drone 100d. By providing such an auxiliary loading / unloading device 50, it is possible to arrange the loading / unloading device 30 at a position horizontally offset from the roof opening 26. In other words, the loading / unloading device 30 can be arranged at a position where it is easy to transfer the cargo to and from the UGV 100v. As a result, the cargo can be smoothly handed over from the loading / unloading device 30 to the UGV 100v.

[0060] In addition, by providing the auxiliary loading / unloading device 50, the UGV transfer position Psv and the drone transfer position Psd can be set to the same position in the horizontal direction and offset in the vertical direction. This arrangement simplifies the movement of the loading / unloading device 30, and simplifies the configuration and control of the loading / unloading device 30.

[0061] Furthermore, in this example, the main pillars 32 of the loading / unloading device 30 are provided at positions overlapping with the cross members 54 and the roof cross members 60. This will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the upper and lower ends of the main pillars 32.

[0062] Typically, a pair of side members (not shown) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and a plurality of cross members 54 suspended between the pair of side members are provided at the bottom of the vehicle 10. The cross members 54 are a type of frame member that supports the vehicle 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the cross members 54 are formed by joining a press-molded member having a hat-shaped cross section and elongated in the vehicle width direction to the floor panel 52. Among the bottom of the vehicle 10, the vicinity of the cross members 54 is a portion that is less likely to bend and has high rigidity. In this example, the main pillars 32 are provided at positions that overlap the cross members 54 in a plan view. With such a configuration, the stability of the main pillars 32 is improved, and luggage can be transported more stably.

[0063] In this example, the upper ends of the main pillars 32 are fixed to the ceiling of the vehicle 10. With this configuration, the main pillars 32 function as braces between the floor surface and the ceiling, effectively suppressing distortion of the vehicle body and bending of the ceiling, thereby improving the rigidity of the vehicle body.

[0064] Here, the roof of the vehicle 10 is provided with a pair of roof rails (not shown) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a plurality of roof cross members 60 that are stretched between the pair of roof rails. The roof cross member 60 is a type of framework member that reinforces the roof of the vehicle 10. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the roof cross member 60 is formed by joining a press-molded member that has a hat-shaped cross section and is elongated in the vehicle width direction to the roof inner panel 56 or the roof outer panel 58. In this example, the main pillar 32 is provided at a location that overlaps with the roof cross member 60 in a plan view. This configuration further improves the rigidity of the main pillar 32. In addition, by overlapping the main pillar 32 and the roof cross member 60, the load transmitted to the roof cross member 60 (for example, the impact load when the drone 100d takes off or lands) is easily distributed to the lower side of the vehicle, and deflection of the ceiling can be effectively prevented.

[0065] The above-mentioned positional relationship between the main pillars 32 and the framework members is merely an example, and naturally, this positional relationship may be changed as appropriate. For example, since the lower portion of the main pillars 32 only needs to be fixed to the floor surface, the upper end of the main pillars 32 does not need to be fixed to the ceiling as shown in Fig. 7. If the upper end of the main pillars 32 is not fixed to the ceiling, the load transmitted to the ceiling (for example, the impact load when the drone 100d takes off and lands, etc.) is less likely to be transmitted to the main pillars 32.

[0066] Further, although an example has been given so far in which the unmanned transport vehicle 100 is used to deliver luggage, a worker may deliver luggage instead of or in addition to the unmanned transport vehicle 100. In this case, as shown in FIG. 7, a worker transfer position Psp for transferring luggage between the worker 106 and the worker 106 is set immediately to the left of the main pillar 32 at a height that is easily accessible to the worker 106 (for example, about the same height as a person's abdomen). This worker transfer position Psp is a type of second transfer position Ps that is set between the loading device 30 and the door opening 18. Even when the worker 106 delivers luggage in this way, the amount of work done by the worker 106 can be reduced by performing the loading work on the loading device 30 side, and thus manpower can be reduced.

[0067] Furthermore, the location of the baggage storage unit 40 is not limited as long as it is provided at least one of in front and behind the loading / unloading apparatus 30. Therefore, for example, in the case where the vehicle 10 is a fully automated vehicle that can run without a driver inside the vehicle, the driver's seat area Ad shown in Figures 3 and 4 may be changed to the baggage storage unit 40. In other words, the baggage storage unit 40 may be provided both in front and behind the loading / unloading apparatus 30.

[0068] Also, the position of the door opening 18 is not limited as long as it is provided on the side of the vehicle 10. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the door opening 18 may be provided on the front of the vehicle 10. In the case of FIG. 8, the vehicle 10 is a fully automated driving vehicle that can run even if the driver is not inside the vehicle. In this case, the loading device 30 is also provided on the front of the vehicle 10, like the door opening 18. Also, the baggage storage unit 40 may be provided behind the loading device 30, that is, in the center and rear of the vehicle 10 in the front-rear direction. Also, up to this point, the case where the baggage is handed over from the vehicle 10 to the unmanned transport device 100 or the worker has been described, but the vehicle 10 disclosed in this specification can also be applied to the case where the baggage is handed over from the unmanned transport device 100 or the worker to the vehicle 10. In this case, the baggage brought in from outside the vehicle by the unmanned transport device 100 or the worker is handed over to the loading device 30, and the loading device 30 hands over the received baggage to the transport shelf 42 of the baggage storage unit 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 10 vehicle, 12L left side, 12R right side, 18 door opening, 20 door, 24 drone port, 26 roof opening, 30 loading equipment, 32 main pillar, 34 luggage holding section, 36 base, 38 rotating table, 40 luggage storage section, 42 transport shelf, 50 auxiliary loading equipment, 51 pallet, 52 floor panel, 54 cross member, 56 roof inner panel, 58 roof outer panel, 60 roof cross member, 100d drone, 100v UGV, 106 worker, Ad driver's seat area, Pf first transfer position, Psd drone transfer position (second transfer position), Psp worker transfer position (second transfer position), Psv UGV transfer position (second transfer position), WS work space.

Claims

1. a door opening provided on a first side of the vehicle and opened and closed by a door; A luggage storage section provided in the vehicle for storing luggage; a loading / unloading device that transports the luggage between a first transfer position and a second transfer position and transfers the luggage between the luggage storage unit and the first transfer position; Equipped with The luggage storage section is provided in the vehicle interior in front of, or behind, the loading device, or both in front of and behind the loading device, The loading device is provided in the vicinity of a second side portion, which is a side portion opposite to the first side portion, in the interior of the vehicle, and at a position facing the door opening in a vehicle width direction, The second transfer position is set between the loading device and the door opening, moreover, A drone port provided on an outer surface of the roof of the vehicle, where a drone lands; A roof opening formed in the ceiling through which the luggage can pass; An auxiliary loading / unloading device that transports the luggage received from one of the loading device and the drone through the roof opening and transfers the luggage to the other of the loading device and the drone; Equipped with The second transfer position is an unmanned ground vehicle transfer position for transferring the luggage between the unmanned ground vehicle that runs on a road and an unmanned ground vehicle; A drone transfer position for transferring the luggage between the drone and the auxiliary loading and unloading device; Including, The unmanned ground vehicle transfer position and the drone transfer position are horizontally aligned and vertically offset. A package delivery vehicle characterized by:

2. 2. The package delivery vehicle of claim 1, The luggage storage section is not provided in a work space that is a space from the loading device to the door opening, The vehicle cabin floor surface in the working space is flat. A package delivery vehicle characterized by:

3. 2. The package delivery vehicle of claim 1, The package delivery vehicle, wherein the roof opening is formed in approximately the center in the vehicle width direction.

4. 2. The package delivery vehicle of claim 1, The loading device includes: A main pillar whose lower end is fixed to the floor; A luggage holding section that holds the luggage and rotates around the main pillar and moves up and down along the main pillar; and after receiving the luggage at one of the first transfer position and the second transfer position, the luggage holding unit is rotated and raised and lowered to transport the luggage to the other of the first transfer position and the second transfer position. A package delivery vehicle characterized by:

5. 5. A package delivery vehicle as claimed in claim 4, The vehicle has a cross member, which is a framework member extending in a vehicle width direction, at a bottom of the vehicle, The main pillar is provided at a position overlapping with the cross member in a plan view. A package delivery vehicle characterized by:

6. A parcel delivery vehicle according to claim 4 or 5, A package delivery vehicle, characterized in that an upper end of the main pillar is fixed to a ceiling of the vehicle.

7. 7. A package delivery vehicle as claimed in claim 6, The vehicle has a roof cross member that is a framework member extending in a vehicle width direction in a ceiling of the vehicle, The main pillar is provided at a position overlapping with the roof cross member in a plan view. A package delivery vehicle characterized by:

8. A parcel delivery vehicle according to claim 4 or 5, A package delivery vehicle, wherein an upper end of the main pillar is not fixed to a ceiling of the vehicle.

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